Posted By Heathrow Just interested on what the concensus is - the training costs are totally ridiculous, especially as they now seem to be ten a penny. For the returns you get from them financially, and the resistance of most firms to cough up are they really worth it ?

Posted By ITK Thought provoking question Heathrow. We all know (or at least should) that competency is a combination of both experience and qualifications. One without the other is as useful as a bucket with a hole. The thing is the profession has moved on in the last few years, rightly so. There are now more and more Diplomas/Degrees in Health and Safety (in my day it was NEBOSH and that was that). Health and Safety was a job very few people decided was to be their chosen profession they just seemed to fall into it sideways in their twilight years whilst waiting to retire. I saw someone recently post that there have been over 100,000 NEBOSH Certs issued and there sure as hell ain't 100,000 jobs for everyone. Employers can now raise the bar, some want diplomas, some want CMIOSH, some want experience moost want all three. As I said the other day on a similar post I applied for a job that wanted Dip with CMIOSH as desirable (I have both) and I didn't even merit an interview presumably because there were people with more post nominals and experience. I have come to the conclusion that there are a few high level well paid jobs out there that people move round some of us have to catch the crumbs from the table. I realise that after spending over £4K on qualifications coupled with a few years of experience that I am where I am in my career, better off than some, worse off than others. So in answer to your question its like love and marriage, horse and carriage, you cant have one without the other. ITK CMIOSH

Posted By Pete48 But surely the purpose of study is because you are interested in learning more about a subject? If you have lots of experience the learning must be easier for you than those who start from no experience. Whatever your profession or trade, there will always be those who have travelled a different path and have achieved different levels of academic and practical achievement. I have been successful in obtaining positions over people with more letters behind their name than my postman carries in his bag! Equally I have been rejected due to the lack of those letters. Employers know what they want, the difference increasingly is that they are beginning to understand the importance of determining more closely what that means for H&S and to be able to choose an appropriate level of that qualification/experience match. So by studying whilst continuing to gain experience you make yourself more attractive to employers. You choose.